


Puppet of the Departed

by A_creature



Category: Library of Ruina (Video Game)
Genre: Creepy, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:33:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29187114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_creature/pseuds/A_creature
Summary: Before Roland's attack, Jae-Heon was there with his puppet, the child he crafted from wood. This is simply a story of what he was doing then.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Puppet of the Departed

**Author's Note:**

> Hey this isn't the first fic I've written, but it is the first I've posted so hope everyone likes it.

“Happy birthday Jr.! It’s your special day and your dad is going to give you the best party you could ask for…” 

A man adjusted the colorful blue and black birthday hat upon the head of a child, his voice ringing with fatherly joy as he spoke to his child. The room fell silent, the dark workshop with only one living being in it. Jae-Heon looked down at his “child”, a finely crafted puppet the same height as his son. It lacked any features and was made of pure wood, wearing a party hat. However, the craftsmanship was made with all the necessities for human actions. Joints in all the right places, even all five fingers on both hands (even if they were a bit crude).

“What’s that Jr.? Why aren’t any of your friends here? … Well son, they sent their best regards.” He gets on one knee and puts his right hand on the shoulder of his “son”. “They brought your presents by and I added them to the pile, but you know how delicate your condition is. I’ll throw you a big party with every friend you want when you’re better! I’ll host a big party anywhere you want!” He spoke cautiously, as if speaking with the most delicate flower.

“…” The puppet sat still, unmoving. 

There was a silence in the air as Jae-Heon waited for a response from the puppet. He just smiled as tears fell from his eyes, yet his smile still brimmed like any father’s would seeing their son age up.

“Oh you want to throw a party at your favorite arcade? Hmmmm, that place got rather expensive recently… but if my son wants to throw his welcome back party there then how could I not!” Tears fell on the floor as his smile and tone remained firm, the man hadn’t even realized his tears as he was so lost in his delusion.

“…” 

“Oh what’s that? You’re hungry? Well, your dad made your favorite! Let me go grab it…” 

Jae-Heon walked out to the kitchen- its appearance dark, dusty, and unused -and rattled about. After a moment he walked back out to the “party room” and placed a plate in front of his “child”.

“Look, it’s your favorite! Dad’s very own spaghetti with meat sauce, sausage because it’s your favorite, topped with herbs. Go, have some.” 

The man moves his hand to the puppet’s strings and guides it’s hand to a fork, before delicately swirling it in the pasta and bringing it to the “boy’s mouth”. The pasta on the fork merely slides off and splatters against the floor, leaving only a bit of sauce on the “lips” of the puppet. He lowered the hand for another swirl, brought it back to the puppet, and watched as more splattered on the ground. He went in for yet another, bringing it up, and splattering more. Another swirl, another failure, another swirl, another failure, another swirl, another failure. Soon enough the entire plate was on the floor and he stood there, crying. He gently rested the strings he used to control it and stood there for a moment, as if his mind hadn’t processed it all. Eventually the room was full of the sounds of him clapping, clapping wonderfully.

“Oh quite the appetite you have! You ate the entire plate. I’m glad I made plenty extra for you.” He grabs a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes off the sauce from the puppet. “There you go, you made a mess there, but at least you enjoyed my cooking. What do you want to do now Jr.?” The man spoke to the air with happiness unrivaled, slowly jumping further into the delusion keeping him sane.

“…” 

“Oh you want to open your presents now? Well if you insist we can open them now.”

He made the puppet clap before standing, “walking” over and in front of him. They walked out to the dark living room, most of it dusty- aside from the tracks cleared by Jae-Heon and the coffee table in the center with a pile of presents -as he sat down in front of the gifts. He made the puppet sit in his lap as he hugged his “son”.

“Look at all these gifts! You have so many friends, and a very loving father of course, so let’s get to opening these.” His pride was slowly changing to desperation, as if he was assuring himself instead of his “child” as it all went on. 

The puppet grabbed the first present, a rectangle signed elegantly with a _“From: Dad” _as the signature. He forced the wooden object to open the gift, revealing a game. A simple game about household objects fighting the undead in a tower-defense style. He made the puppet hug him and he hugged back.__

____

“I remember you asked for it so I bought it for you, I hope you like it.”

____

The next present was grabbed and the “child” read who it was from. In the same handwriting as the first it simply read _“From: Jimmy” _although it was much more messy, like an adult’s attempt at a child’s handwriting. It was a much thicker and shorter rectangle than before, a box of something. The puppet was once again contorted to open the gift, tearing off the wrapping paper and revealing a starter deck for a popular card game. It was known for having five different colors to play, but this was built purely to white. A deck built law, order, and life.__

______ _ _

“What’s that Jr.? You want to learn how to play? Well, dad played this back in the day and has his own deck somewhere.”

______ _ _

“…” 

______ _ _

“What was my deck? Oh I played a black zombie deck. Death and decay spread, but not even the loss of life was the end. No matter what died it could always come back.” He hugged his “son” tighter and cried as he spoke, his tone remaining the same even if who he was talking to changed.

______ _ _

This went on for some time, opening at least twenty more gifts. Eleven in total with a “From: Dad” and all the rest being from random names, all in the same exact hand writing. Games, cards, clothes, all of it. After it was done he just sat there, swaying back and forth, hugging the puppet sitting in his lap. Minutes went by with just the silent sobs of a man and the creaking of his craft. 

______ _ _

“…” 

______ _ _

“You want to play catch with dad? Well if that’s how my wonderful son wants to pass his birthday let’s…” 

______ _ _

The two walked once again, going to the back of the house through the dining room. It was supposed to represent a backyard, but it was simply just a room. A room painted to look like the outside, with a bright L.E.D. to represent the sun and fans blowing to represent the wind. And of course, after a certain length the floor was carpeted with AstroTurf for the grass. He placed the puppet on the “grass” and he stood on the wood, bending over to grab a baseball on the floor.

______ _ _

“It’s quite nice out today Jr., a perfect time for some father-son catch.” He smiled so brightly, but his voice faded into melancholy.

______ _ _

“…”

______ _ _

“Catch.” 

______ _ _

He threw the ball and moved the puppet to catch it. It did and he smiled with pride as if there were no tears on his face. Just some quality bonding time between a father and his son. The puppet moved to throw the ball and Jae-Heon failed to catch it, causing him to burst into laughter. Happy, fatherly, deranged laughter.

______ _ _

“Well look at you! You’re better at this than me. I remember when you were half your size and could barely catch the ball, let alone throw it like that!” 

______ _ _

“…”

______ _ _

He walked over and picked up the ball and threw it again, moving the puppet to catch it. They kept this up for at least twenty minutes, repeating the same movements. Jae-Heon caught the ball around eighty percent of the time, whereas his “son” caught it every time without fail. After it was done they both collapsed on the ground, sitting and wiping the sweat off their forehead in unison. 

______ _ _

“So how have you enjoyed your birthday?”

______ _ _

“…”

______ _ _

**Thump thump. Thump thump. ******

____******** _ _ _ _

A thumping sound was heard in the head of Jae-Heon. A heart beat. His hand shook as he extended it towards the puppet, in disbelief he gave a genuine smile. Had he done it? Was this really work-

____******** _ _ _ _

**Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. ******

____************ ** ** _ _ _ _

Knocking. Knocking at the front door. Who could it be? Who dare interrupt his son’s birthday!?

____************ ** ** _ _ _ _

“Just a moment son, I hear knocking at the door. Knocking trying to hide the beating of the heart I placed inside your chest.” He spoke nervously, but kept his fatherly smile as he wiped off his tears.

____************ ** ** _ _ _ _

He exited the “backyard” and walked through the messy dining room. Out to the living room past the pile of wrapping paper and gifts, finally reaching the front door. He regained his composure and dusted off his lab coat, opening the front door and seeing a man around his height dressed in a black suit with a simple black mask over his face.

____************ ** ** _ _ _ _

“Who might you be?” Jae-Heon inquired.

____************ ** ** _ _ _ _

“I’m just here to finish what I started.”

____************ ** ** _ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> The song I alluded to with the ending is called "Symphony for the Departed", giving my credit go listen to it.


End file.
